For tribal communities across the Great Plains and Southwest, buffalo is the centerpiece of of traditional culture, a sacred food critical to the restoration of health and independence. As new herds grow on Native lands, a small group of schools have joined a pilot program that introduces buffalo not just to lunch trays, but also the classroom and students’ very idea of who they are. For the Intertribal Buffalo Council, which sponsors the project, it’s taken years to get this point. But for the children, it’s taken no time at all to embrace their legacy and clean their plates.

Resource Links:

Intertribal Buffalo Council website

Incorporating Buffalo Meat into the Schools’ Lunch Menu: Intertribal Buffalo Council newsletter (PDF)

White paper: Feeding Ourselves: Food access, health disparities, and the pathways to healthy Native American communities (PDF)

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